Izayah Le’Afa and Mody Maor celebrate the NZ Breakers’ semi-final win over the Tasmania JackJumpers. Photo / photo sport
Throughout the NBL season, New Zealand Breakers coach Mody Maor has made it clear how important it is for the team to be connected to the country.
After two years in Australia and fighting for
As a result, Maor took on a team that wanted to rediscover his identity.
In his attempt to help them, he often referenced the All Blacks and found ways to connect with the heritage of New Zealand’s sport.
His team bought into his goal. The Breakers have been a team that plays hard at both ends game after game — a far cry from the side that just a season ago finished at the bottom of the ladder as one of the two worst defensive teams in the competition.
Now, ahead of their first major NBL Finals appearance in seven years, the Breakers’ reconnection with the New Zealand sports scene has become clear.
The Breakers have received messages of support from New Zealand sporting legends who are the herald was previewed before players and guests hear it at the team’s awards night on Tuesday.
Among them was former All Blacks flanker Sir Michael Jones, who praised the team for their campaign.
“What an absolutely outstanding season so far. Thank you for restoring the mana of this particular undershirt. not just restoring mana, but improving mana,” Jones said in his message.
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The Breakers will hold their awards ceremony before taking on the Sydney Kings in the grand final, which begins Friday night in Sydney.
The Kings went into the current season as the team to beat after winning the title last season and ended the season at the top of the standings. five series.
While the Kings finished as the better of the two teams on the ladder, the Breakers won the last meeting between the two teams, while the last time they met in Auckland, the Sydney team took the win.
After that December game, Kings coach Chase Buford compared the Breakers to the All Blacks based on the physical condition the team played with.
It was a day Maor wore gladly. When asked for comment after the Breakers’ win in the semifinals against the Tasmania JackJumpers last week, Maor was happy to respond.
“Any time someone compares you to the All Blacks, that’s the greatest honor there can be. If we can go and play like the All Blacks… humiliating.”
